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Kate Hidalgo's piece was selected for publication. It recounts her experiences during a recent study of social injustice.
Elmsford Superintendent of Schools Joseph L. Ricca said, "I know that Katie was psyched to be selected! She and her classmates will be thrilled. She even worked hard to keep the word count down."
Here is Kate Hidalgo's paper:
"The sixth grade students at Alice E. Grady Elementary School in Elmsford just finished a unit focused on Social Injustice. Throughout the unit, the students read stories and texts about incidents of social injustice throughout history.
"We learned a lot about different types of social injustice throughout the unit. We read about people both in classic literature and informational texts. Depending upon the situation, many individuals experience social injustice in different ways. A social injustice occurs when a person or a group of people get treated unfairly because of their race, religion, beliefs, language, gender or ability.
"Through the texts we studied, we learned that social injustice happened a lot in the past and it still happens now. When we read 'Malala’s Mission,' I was very surprised to learn that people would attempt to kill a girl because she was willing to stand up for herself and others to have the same opportunity for education as boys.
"Everyone deserves to have the same opportunities. We also read about Claudette Colvin and Jo Ann Robinson. These individuals wanted to end segregation. They knew what the consequences might be, but they were determined to be treated equally.
"Learning about social injustice has impacted our thinking in many ways. We thought the world changed and that people have settled their differences, but that is not what has happened. There are still instances of people getting fired from their jobs for wearing religious clothing and people being discriminated against because of their appearance.
"Learning about social injustice helped me open up my eyes and actually see the world around me. Things are not like I thought they were. The individuals we have read about have dealt with the effects of social injustice. When I read the texts it changed how I thought of others. People are all the same no matter what."
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